About

Neal Brown has become well known as one of the top chefs of the Midwest. His 20+ years of restaurant experience has earned him local and national attention.In 2007, Chef Browns restaurant L’explorateur was voted “Best New Restaurant” by Indianapolis Monthly. He was also voted “Best Chef” by the same publication that same year. Neal has been awarded Indianapolis Business Journal’s prestigious “Forty under 40” award, designating him as one of forty of the most innovative and influential business leaders in Indiana. Neal has been nominated 2 times for the prestigious James Beard Award for Best Chef in the Midwest Region.

Neal sits on the advisory boards of The Chefs Academy, The Indiana Humanities Council, The Indiana Restaurant and Hospitality Association and is a Founder of The Dig In Foundation.The foundations beneficiary, A Taste of Indiana, is a food festival held annually and focuses on the cultural and economic benefits of supporting Indiana agriculture and restaurants. Neal is in the Slow Food movement and was selected as a delegate to represent Indianapolis at the bi-annual Terre Madre, a congregation that considers global food crises, food policy and global food biodiversity, in Torino Italy, in 2008. Neal is committed to preserving sustainable agricultural practices and artisanal cooking techniques.

Neal owns the award winning Ukiyo, a Japanese inspired restaurant that applies traditional Japanese preparations to seasonal and local ingredients with a focus on sushi, noodle dishes, and traditional izakaya style foods. Neal is also Chef/Owner of The Libertine Liquor Bar, a cocktail-centric bar and restaurant focusing on local and seasonal American bar food. The Libertine was recognized as one of the 25 Best Bars In America by Esquire Magazine.